1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to air conditioning units having an evaporator section and a condenser section within one unit. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for securing refrigerant carrying tubes in an opening through a partition dividing an air conditioning unit into an indoor section and an outdoor section.
2. Prior Art
Air conditioning units such as the so called self-contained air conditioning units commonly used for residential and similar applications generally include closed refrigeration circuits having an evaporator and a condenser. The unit is normally divided by a partition into an evaporator section and a condenser section, the evaporator section communicating with the room air to be conditioned and the condenser section communicating with external air such as outdoor air. Refrigerant flows through a refrigeration circuit absorbing heat from the room air at the evaporator and discharging heat energy to the external air at the condenser. The conventional refrigeration circuit is completed by the addition of a compressor and an expansion device and the appropriate connections between the components.
In the evaporator section air is drawn through the evaporator by the evaporator fan and subsequently discharged into the room. In the evaporator the refrigerant changes from a liquid state to a gaseous state absorbing heat energy from the room air being circulated thereover. The gaseous refrigerant from the evaporator is returned to the compressor wherein its pressure and temperature are increased. The evaporator is located in the indoor section and the compressor is located in the outdoor section. From the compressor the hot gaseous refrigerant flows through the condenser wherein it is cooled to change state from a gas to a liquid. Heat energy is discharged to ambient air being circulated over the condenser by the condenser fan. This liquid refrigerant is then conducted through the partition dividing the unit into the door and outdoor sections back to the indoor coil or evaporator to complete the refrigeration circuit.
In a conventional room air conditioning unit the condenser and compressor being the heat discharging components are located in that portion of the unit, the outdoor section, wherein heat energy is discharged to the ambient air. The evaporator and evaporator fan are located in the indoor section of the unit for absorbing heat energy from the air to be cooled. In a conventional room air conditioning unit it is necessary to have two refrigerant line connections between the indoor section and the outdoor section. An interconnecting line between the condenser and evaporator and the suction line from the evaporator to the compressor are both required to pass through the partition.
With the advent of high energy costs, improving the overall performance of an air conditioning unit has achieved additional significance. One method of improving performance is to reduce the internal energy losses in an air conditioning unit including reducing the transfer of heat energy between the outdoor section and the indoor section of a unit. One of the modes in which this heat transfer may occur is by air leakage through the partition at the location where the refrigerant lines extend through the partition.
The present invention concerns providing a partition opening through which the suction line and refrigerant interconnecting line may extend. A tube seal formed from an expanded cellular foam is provided having slots to mount the tube seal to the partition at the opening. The tube seal additionally has a center slit for receiving the refrigerant carrying tubes and securing same therebetween. This combination acts to provide a tight seal preventing air flow through the partition wherein the refrigerant tubes extend.